Let’s push Draymond Green vs Skip Bayless aside for a moment because San Diego Padres pitcher Mike Clevinger has something to say about Arizona Diamondbacks analyst Bob Brenly.
Clevinger pitched a gem Wednesday afternoon, but after leading his team to a 4-0 victory, the 31-year-old took time out of his postgame interview with Bally Sports San Diego to call out a pattern of commentary from Brenly.
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“It’s hard to sit here and hear guys in the booth get to talk all they want and not know who the guys in the clubhouse are,” Clevinger said. “You hear this back and forth that’s been going on for years especially here, I just want Bob to know he has an open invite to come down to our clubhouse and find out what kind of people we really are instead of just running his mouth up there.”
Clevinger later confirmed, via The San Diego Tribune, the “Bob” he was referring to was indeed Bob Brenly from the Diamondbacks’ booth. Brenly has a history of making some harsh observations about Padres players, including a documented tendency of directing negative commentary towards people of color.
Last week, Brenly and Diamondbacks play-by-play voice Steve Berthiaume discussed Clevinger’s time at The Citadel, mocking his hairstyle and persona as not being fit for military school. The topic came up again during Clevinger’s Wednesday afternoon start.
“He spent half my outing talking about me getting punishments at The Citadel,” Clevinger said according to The Tribune. “… So I would like Bob Brenly to come down here and talk to me face-to-face and find out about who I am as a person and why I even got in The Citadel in the first place. I’m just sick of hearing him get this pass because he’s in the booth.”
But Clevinger wasn’t only bothered by Brenly’s recent commentary directed towards him, he also recalled the broadcaster making harsh comments about Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in past years.
“I mean, shoot, when Tati was first coming up he’s calling Tati a ‘thug’ because he wore chains and he doesn’t even know who Tatis is,” Clevinger said.
Brenly didn’t call Tatis a “thug” in the incident Clevinger was referring to, but the broadcaster’s implication wasn’t good as he whined about the “bike chain” around the young superstar’s neck as he ran the bases.
Last season, Brenly took a week off and claimed he would take sensitivity training after he mocked Marcus Stroman’s du-rag during a broadcast. Following the game, Stroman called out Brenly’s “racist undertones.” But Brenly’s voluntary week off to “reflect” wasn’t announced until retired All-Star Aramis Ramirez accused the broadcaster of harshly criticizing Latino players during his time as an analyst for the Cubs.
The next time the Padres and Diamondbacks meet, giving Brenly an opportunity to take Clevinger up on his offer, is July 15 in San Diego.
[The San Diego Tribune, Bally Sports San Diego]
